Cambodia Angkor Air has announced the opening of direct Hanoi - Siem Reap flights, beginning on October 30.

Five flights a week will service the route, on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, with an additional flight each week during the peak travel time from December 15 to February 28, 2017.

Flights will take off from Siem Reap, home of Angkor Wat, at 5.55 pm and from Hanoi at 8.25 pm. Flying time is estimated at one hour and 40 minutes. This is the third international flight to Vietnam Cambodia Angkor Air has opened this year, joining Ho Chi Minh City - Sihanoukville and Siem Reap - Da Nang.

On the Sihanoukville - Ho Chi Minh City route, flights leave Sihanoukville at 12.40pm and arrive at 1.40pm, then depart on the return leg at 2.50pm, arriving at 3.50pm.

Siem Reap - Da Nang flights will take off from Siem Reap at 2.30pm and arrive at 4.20 pm, returning at 5pm and arriving at 6.55pm.

Cambodia Angkor Air is a joint venture between Vietnam Airlines and the Cambodian Government, with the former holding 49 per cent. Total investment was $200 million. It was the first airline established in Cambodia after the dissolution of Royal Air Cambodge in 2001 following losses of $30 million.

Vietnam is a major economic partner of Cambodia, with bilateral trade turnover in 2015 standing at $3.37 billion. Exports from Vietnam were over $2.4 billion, down 10 per cent compared to 2014, while Cambodian exports totaled over $953 million.

According to figures presented at the Vietnam - Cambodia business forum, held on September 22 in Phnom Penh, Vietnam has 182 investment project in the country with total registered capital of $2.85 billion. Vietnamese tourists to Cambodia number the highest, at about 988,000 in 2015.

Total tourist arrivals in Cambodia last year were 4.7 million, a 22-fold increase compared to 1995. There were 7.9 million tourists visiting Vietnam, a 5.8-fold increase compared to 1995.